Other Names:  Flannel Bush

Brand:  Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Description:

A more compact, low mounding selection producing large golden-yellow flowers in spring and summer; the fuzz (stellate hairs) on the leaves can be irritating to the skin, so use protective gloves and eyewear when handling; prefers dry to normal conditions

Ornamental Features

Dara's Gold Fremontodendron is clothed in stunning yellow cup-shaped flowers with gold overtones along the branches from late winter to mid summer, which emerge from distinctive orange flower buds. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage. The glossy lobed leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Dara's Gold Fremontodendron is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Dara's Gold Fremontodendron is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Dara's Gold Fremontodendron will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.